Maryland to Receive $2.4 Million State Innovation Model Grant

BALTIMORE (February 21, 2013) – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services today announced that Maryland will receive a $2.4 million State Innovation Models (SIM) grant to fund the development of the new Community-Integrated Medical Home initiative. Maryland was one of 25 states to receive a SIM award.Through this initiative, participating Maryland primary care providers will lead a team of health professionals focused on coordinating personalized care that meets the complex needs of patients. It will allow physicians to focus more on treating a patient’s overall health, as opposed to just treating illnesses when they arise.“In Maryland, we believe in providing quality, affordable health care to more families and children. To date, we have expanded health care to over 373,000 Marylanders, nearly half of them children,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “Thanks to Secretary Sebelius and our federal partners, we can move forward with the Community-Integrated Medical Home initiative to keep our families healthy with innovative mapping tools that will allow our local leaders to better target resources to those in need.” In addition to services provided in the physician’s office, Community Integrated Medical Homes will coordinate with public health resources in local communities across Maryland. This connection to community health resources will provide complementary supports for patients between their office visits. In addition, this award will fund the development of exciting new data and mapping resources. Using data from CRISP, the state health information exchange, the state can create detailed maps highlighting areas with poor health status, high health care utilization, and poor outcomes. For example, these maps will allow local health leaders to see if residents of their towns and cities are relying too heavily on the emergency room for their care, as opposed to having a primary care provider. Health workers at local health departments will be able reach out and provide targeted resources to these individuals, assist them in finding a usual source of care, and help them find insurance, including linking them to the Maryland Health Connection, Maryland’s health insurance exchange, which launches in October.“The State Innovation Model grant will help Maryland stay at the forefront of our nation’s efforts to improve health care delivery,” said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. “These efforts will complement the robust reform initiatives already underway.”The Community Integrated Medical Home also has great potential to reduce health care spending in Maryland. Coordinating care more effectively, preventing emergency room and hospital visits, and improving the health status of communities will result in a higher performing health system and save costs over the long term. This new program will be further designed and developed over the next six months, and a range of health care stakeholders and the general public will be invited to assist in its development. For more information on the program, visit http://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/State-Innovations/